On Friday I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to experience the new exhibition COLOUR at the fabulous Royal Pavilion.

Working in Brighton means I can regularly find an excuse to walk through Pavilion Gardens and every time I do, I am reminded of how lucky we are to have an actual palace at the centre of our quirky city. Of course, this being Brighton this is a palace like no other featuring a mixture of domes and minarets rather than turrets and towers, although if you think the outside is impressive just wait until you get inside!

But I’m getting ahead of myself as the new exhibition starts outside with work by local artist Lois O’Hara adding even more colour to the gardens. I say even more as nature has already started to bring more colour to the grounds with the return of the pretty blooms but now the pathway has been transformed into a Rainbow Road leading you to the entrance and ready to step into a world full of COLOUR. Although if there are any other Mario Kart fans reading this then please don’t worry, this Rainbow Road is a lot harder to fall off of and no one threw a blue shell at me.

In the past the Royal Pavilion has been referred to as a party palace as this was the Prince Regent’s holiday home, the place he came to have fun. This desire for pleasure was evident in the way he decorated the palace, whether it’s the rich red of the Music Room, the pretty pink of the stairway or the opulent purple of the private quarters, colour is everywhere. On past visits I noticed the colours as part of the overall wow factor, but I didn’t consciously appreciate them in their own right. Particularly when you think that the Prince Regent couldn’t simply pop to the shops and ask them to colour match a paint to go with his favourite pantaloons. In the nineteenth century it was a lot more complicated.

The exhibition does have information boards explaining how George IV was at the forefront of this new era of colour. However, I really enjoyed the interactive elements to this exhibition. There were moments when we were treated to birdsong as well as colourful light displays. There are plenty of selfie moments along the way too, in fact we nearly lost Lucinda when she spotted the dressing-up box! My highlights were the banqueting room; although to be fair this is my favourite room anyway as who wouldn’t love a giant dragon carrying a one-tonne chandelier? But for this exhibition the table is fully laden with colourful art pieces, jars of pigments and beautiful plates (available to buy in the gift shop). This room is always impressive but seeing this rainbow of colour as the centrepiece gives it an extra dose of wow.

Upstairs there is a fabulous, floral piece which I’m sure will become the backdrop to a lot of selfies and will soon be flooding your social media feeds. But my favourite was a cheeky, neon installation. I enjoyed it, in its own right but I also couldn’t help smirking at the thought that this tongue-in-cheek piece is proudly front and centre within one of the country’s iconic heritage venues. It certainly puts paid to the idea that old buildings are dull & stuffy. It is yet another example of what makes Brighton the awesome place it is, yes, we have history & heritage, and we love it but we will always want to play, to experiment and have fun with it. I think George IV would have approved.

In a similar vein I was also delighted to see that the team have not only introduced more interactive elements for all visitors, but they have specifically included more for families. As grown-ups we know the importance of our heritage and that engaging with cultural activities is essential for our well-being, but we need to ensure the next generation are also engaging with culture as well. This exhibition is suitable for all the family, there are adorable chameleons dotted around the palace and while these were meant to be for children to spot even, we couldn’t help excitedly calling out “oo look there’s another one!” There is also an accompanying activity booklet where Cami the Chameleon guides you around the palace and gives children different activities to do in each room to help them engage with each of the colours. The Great Kitchen has been converted into a play area, again I know I’m not the audience for this, but I was sorely tempted to sit down and use the blocks to build my own little palace. I resisted the urge this time, but I may have to go back...

There is more I could say but I want you to experience it for yourselves, so I’ll pause there. When you leave the exhibition, after buying your own little Cami or perhaps a new plate, we recommend popping into The Botanist Coffee Co. They have just taken over the Pavilion’s café and created a cosy spot to relax and chat about the exhibition. The team here have fully embraced their partnership with the Royal Pavilion as in honour of this new exhibition they have launched a limited range of colourful hot drinks.

I always enjoy a visit to the Royal Pavilion but this colourful new exhibition help me see things I've missed on previous visits. I also loved seeing the installations and interactive exhibits and I'm sure these will attract a new audience to this spectacular palace. Huge congratulations to the team and all involved and also thank you to YesColours for sponsoring the exhibition. 

🎨 The exhibition is on now until 19th October and entry is included within the cost of admission 🎨

Did you know that a ticket to the Royal Pavilion is an annual pass? So you pay the first time you visit and then you can go back as many times as you like over the course of the year. Bargain!

Charlotte